150 Movies in 2023 Challenge!

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

I thought I'd check in at the halfway mark. This year I'm on target for 150, I only made 139 last year. As always I love rewatching and introducing my kids to some of my favourite movies or to those films I grew up on. This year these included, amongst others, Escape to Victory, Rio Bravo, Strictly Ballroom, The Wizard of Oz and The Count of Monte Cristo. Some of my favourite "new" movies were Midnight Special, Let Him Go and The Breadwinner and also Slumberland, GoG 3, The Flash and Puss in Boots: The Last WIsh. Living was a worthy remake of Ikiru. The dud of the year was 6 Underground, just hot garbage.

1. Chaos Walking (2021)
2. Military Wives (2019)
3. Forushande (2016)
4. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
5. Overcomer (2019)
6. The Northman (2022)
7. Made in Italy (2020)
8. Burzynski: The Cancer Cure Cover-Up (2016)
9. Angel Has Fallen (2019)
10. The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
11. Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)
12. The Parent Trap (1961)
13. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
14. The Silent Twins (2022)
15. Escape to Victory (1981)
16. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)
17. The Fabelmans (2022)
18. Event Horizon (1997)
19. The Man from Laramie (1955)
20. She Said (2022)
21. Enola Holmes 2 (2022)
22. Slumberland (2022)
23. Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (2022)
24. Empire of Light (2022)
25. 9 (2009)
26. Eo (2022)
27. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania (2023)
28. The Old Guard (2020)
29. 6 Underground (2019)
30. A Man Called Otto (2022)
31. The Whale (2022)
32. Freedom Writers (2007)
33. The Last Airbender (2010)
34. Living (2022)
35. Wild Mountain Thyme (2020)
36. Rescued by Ruby (2022)
37. The Wonder (2022)
38. God’s Not Dead: We the People (2021)
39. Murder Mystery (2019)
40. Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
41. The Sea Beast (2022)
42. American Underdog (2021)
43. Murder Mystery 2 (2023)
44. The Finest Hours (2016)
45. Midnight Special (2016)

46. Daddy’s Home (2015)
47. The Breadwinner (2017)
48. Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
49. Bumblebee (2018)
50. Creed III (2023)
51. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
52. Rio Bravo (1959)
53. My Father’s Dragon (2022)
54. Back to the Future (1985)
55. Back to the Future Part II (1989)
56. Back to the Future Part III (1990)
57. The Duke (2020)
58. The Journey of Natty Gann (1985)
59. Strictly Ballroom (1992)
60. Esio Trot (2015)
61. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
62. Yojimbo (1961)
63. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
64. Fortress (1992)
65. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
66. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
67. Fatherhood (2021)
68. Tales of the Black Freighter (2009)
69. Still Alice (2014)
70. Persona (1966)
71. Let Him Go (2020)

72. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
73. Emily (2022)
74. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
75. I Still Believe (2020)
76. The Social Dilemma (2020)
77. Wonder Woman (1974)
78. 21 (2008)
79. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
80. Wonder Woman (1975 TV Pilot Movie)
81. The Flash (2023)
82. Wonder Woman (2011 TV Movie)
83. 12 Mighty Orphans (2021)
84. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
85. Aquaman (2006 TV Movie)
86. Glory Road (2006)
87. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

[Reviresco]

Movies for June.

1. Uzumasa Limelight (2014) Kanopy
2. Journey to the West (2014) Kanopy
3. Phantom of the Opera (2004) X 2 Kanopy
4. Outland (1981) Kanopy
5. Blood and Gold (2023) Netflix
6. The Portable Door (2023)
7. Brotherhood of Blades (2014) Amazon
8. Brotherhood of Blades 2 (2017) Amazon
9. Polite Society (2023)
10. To Catch a Killer (2023)
11. The General's Lovers In Time and Space (2017)
12. Renfield (2023) Peacock
13. The Hidden Fox (2022) IQIYI
14. Blood (2023)
15. The Forbidden Depths (2021) IQiYi
16. The Vengeance (2021) IQiYi
17. The Queen (2021) IQiYi
18. The Mermaid: Monster from Sea Prison (2021) IQiYi
19. Legend of Zu (2019) IQiYi
20. Swordsman Qing Cang (2018) IQiYi
21. Painted Skin (2022) IQiYi
22. Age of the Legend (2021) IQiYi
23. Elves in Changjiang River (2022) IQiYi
24. Green Snake: The Fate of Reunion (2022) IQiYi
25. Swordsman (2019) IQiYi
26. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) Theater
27. The Flash (2023) Theater
28. Stan Lee (2023) Disney+
29. To Be Takei (2015) Kanopy

[/LIST][*]Dark Forces 2020 Netflix[*][*]Forever Purge 2021 DVD[*]Dias de Gracia 2011 TUBI[*]Avatar 2009 D+[*]Avatar Way of Water 2023 D+[*]Tigers Are Not Afraid 2017 DVD[*]King Richard HBO[*]West Side Story 2021 HBO [*]West Side Story 1961 DVD [*]Jumanji: Welcome to the Next Level DVD [/LIST]

[Ghost Rider TheHellfireDemon]

35.

John Wick 4
10/10

A terrific sequel that gave me closure, and doesn't have any cliffhangers which is why I'm satisfied with John Wick 4 as a final John Wick sequel.
This movie has an unanswered question about John Wick which isn't a flaw.

This sequel doesn't have any sequel bait so most likely it will be the final John Wick sequel even though it was successful at the box office, and is highly rated for quality.
Caine is a standout antagonist because he is an incredible assassin that is blind. Caine is shown to be a likable antagonist beyond him being an incredible assassin that is blind.
The movie has continuity from the third movie because of characters talking about events from John Wick 3.

Great action scenes, good dialogue, memorable lines, a very high body count with a variety of kills, multiple locations including Paris France, a ticking clock, a high stakes climax, and a satisfying ending.
Caine has an understandable motivation for his goal, the main antagonist also has an understandable motivation for his goal, and the movie gives needed details for how John Wick can accomplish his challenging goal.



36.


Sisu
10/10

An incredible action movie that is 1 of a kind which does seem inspired to be a Quentin Tarintino-style action movie including hardcore violence.

The movie stands out because not much dialogue in the movie which isn't a flaw, and the protagonist Aatami doesn't talk much. Aatami has a hunting knife that he uses to kill a Nazi.
The year the movie is set is 1944 toward the end of World War 2, and the main location is Finland which does get shown off.

The movie was hyped as John Wick Meets Mad Max which the movie lives up to.

The protagonist a Finnish Soldier Aatami is a Solitary Gold Miner, and he's killed a vast amount of Russians with the exact number not known.
The movie provides a believable reason for why the Nazis want the Gold that Aatami discovered.


He kills Nazis in a variety of violent ways and is shown he can hold his breath for a long amount of time.
A standout action scene is how Aatami avoids getting attacked by a German Shepard.

The Nazis are not incompetent antagonists because they do attempt to kill Aatami using a variety of ways.

The high-stakes climax is very entertaining, and how 1 Nazi is killed by Aatami is priceless because it mostly seems like something similar to what happens to Wile E Coyote in the Road Runner cartoons.

[Attila Kiss]

49. Cooties (2014) - ★★★★
50. The Game (2022) - ★★★★
51. About My Father (2023) - ★★★★
52. Extraction II (2023) - ★★★★★
53. Fast X (2023) - ★★★★★
54. Hypnotic (2023) - ★★★
55. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) - ★★★★★
56. Maggie Moore(s) (2023) - ★★★★
57. Medellin (2023) - ★★★
58. Mixed By Erry (2023) - ★★★
59. The Machine (2023) - ★★★★
60. The Wrath Of Becky (2023) - ★★★★

[Ghost Rider TheHellfireDemon]

37.


Guardians of the Galaxy 3
8/10

A great sequel that focuses on Rocket Raccoon includes showing information from his past and answering why he doesn't talk about his past.
This is the final James Gunn Guardians of the Galaxy movie, and this final sequel in his GOTG trilogy doesn't have cliffhangers.
The Guardians have an understandable motivation for why they want to achieve their challenging objective.
Entertaining action scenes, and I noticed the different colored space suits are the same as the Original Skittles colors.

The High Evolutionary is a well-written main antagonist that has an understandable goal.
He wants to create a utopia with Counter-Earth with species devoid of evil, and all species living peacefully on a planet.
He doesn't see an issue with his inhumane experiments because he believes that's needed to create a perfect universe.
He is shown to be a formidable adversary.

The movie outright states what he does with animals when the result doesn't go according to plan.

Drax states a metaphor to Star-Lord which surprises him since Star-Lord didn't have a reason before that scene that he would understand what a metaphor is.

Entertaining heartwarming scenes.
It's stated in the movie what happens if the Guardians don't accomplish their goal before the ticking clock ends.

I was very happy Cosmo the Space Dog proved important in this movie since she used her telekinesis to keep an area together so that characters, and animals including Penguins could run to the safe area.

She has an extraordinary collar that allows her to speak telepathically to characters.

[Ghost Rider TheHellfireDemon]

38.

Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse
9/10

A very entertaining great sequel.
The movie has continuity from Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse.

The movie shows Miles having the challenge of balancing being Spider-Man and being a good student.
I enjoyed this movie remained believable since Miles's parents are suspicious about his double life including when he's absent for a long time during a Party.

The movie shows the high price of what Spider-Woman aka Spider-Gwen had to do, along with a drawback that doesn't have an easy solution which created a believable misunderstanding.
The goal of the Spider Society is a logical one.

The reunion with Miles and Gwen is very entertaining including them swinging through New York City.

The movie does explain the devices characters can use to travel to other Spider-Man universes.
Spider-Man (Miles Morales) being chased by vast Spider-Men and Spider-Women is an amazing scene.

Great action scenes and multiple scenes look like from a comic book.
The stakes are high since the Spot can destroy the Multiverse.




This is the first Spider-Man movie that has the futuristic Spider-Man that is Spider-Man 2099. He has a unique Spider-Man costume, and the movie shows off his impressive powers.

The Spot is the main antagonist, and the movie shows the explanation for how exactly he got his powers. He has a believable motivation for his goal, and he becomes more dangerous as his powers increase.

Complex themes are explored including Spider-Man (Miles Morales) that wants to change an outcome that goes against the Spider Society that has a conclusion that is a tragic outcome that shouldn't be prevented because of the benefits according to what an algorithm shows.
This movie explores Gwen more including Gwen's relationship with her father, and I'm very happy the movie gives a realistic reason why Gwen doesn't want to talk about her emotions instead of something flimsy.

Multiple different Spider universes are explored including the Universe that Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy) lives in.

It was very entertaining watching the Spot go into different Spider-Man universes including the Lego Spider-Man universe, and the cinematic Venom universe.

This movie has a terrific to-be-continued cliffhanger ending. Also, the movie does show a comic book cover of what be viewed as an accurate teaser for the third Spider-Verse movie.
Good dialogue, memorable liners, and a Spider-Man movie that highly succeeds with the wisecracks used by Spider-Man (Miles Morales.

The movie would be over 3 hours long if this wasn't a traditional 2 parter so I don't think this can be criticized as just a way for Sony to make more cash with the third Spider-Verse movie.

[Ghost Rider TheHellfireDemon]

39.

(2023) Super Mario Brothers
9/10

A terrific Fantasy Adventure movie based on the Super Mario video games, and it's a very faithful adaptation which isn't surprising because Nintendo was involved in making this animated adaptation.
It's a great remake that fans of the Super Mario Brothers video games can enjoy because it's a very faithful adaptation made by Nintendo.


The movie does show more of Mario and Luigi's world in Brooklyn including what they're doing when they aren't working as Plumbers in Brooklyn, and shows is Mario and Luigi live with their family.



The movie has sounds from the Super Mario Brothers video games, music from the Super Mario Brothers video games, same rules for power-ups which is the power-up is lost by a character if a foe or thing successfully attacks the character.

The movie has an open ending so very likely Nintendo wants to make a sequel.

Amazing-looking worlds same as shown in the Super Mario Brothers video games.
A variety of entertaining action scenes including Mario, Bowser, and other characters riding go-karts on a rainbow road.
Good dialogue, Mario does struggle to become a competent protagonist, and the movie does give a great payoff since Mario states he and Luigi can be great.
An entertaining straightforward story with Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and other protagonists having an understandable motivation to achieve their goal, Bowser has an understandable motivation for his goal, and high stakes.

Princess Peach is a strong female character except she has limitations.
She isn't a Mary Sue which is a protagonist that has no flaws, and no limitations since the protagonist can mostly do anything to win which is extremely boring.


Bowser singing a song while playing the Piano was a priceless scene. He has a soft spot for romance since he wants to marry Princess Peach so they can rule the Kingdoms.
He is an entertaining charismatic main antagonist that does get his hands dirty instead of just having his subordinates do all the dirty work. He does use his recognizable attack that is he breathes fire including during the climax when he fights Luigi and Mario.

Bowser aka King Koopa is a formidable antagonist that isn't easily defeated, and Mario and Luigi fighting him during the climax is a highly entertaining action scene.

All characters including Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and Princess Peach, look the exact same as they do in the Super Mario Brothers video games.

[Mister Mets]

Movie #63/ New Movie #43: A Plastic Ocean (Youtube)
It's a decent Super Size Me style documentary about plastic waste and efforts to stop it.
7/10



Movie #64/ New Movie #44: The Flash (Movie Theater)
I think this movie suffered from inflated expectations. Early hype was that it's the best superhero movie since The Dark Knight, and it's not even one of the top two superhero movies in theaters right now.

It's a mixed bag. Ezra Miller plays a dorky superhero and a less experienced variant pretty well, although I don't know if any take on a lead superhero got the personality as wrong as this one did (The writer Grant Morrison suggested that Peter Parker was a geek in contrast to the confident Kennedy men superheroes like Reed Richards, Hal Jordan and Barry Allen; this version of Barry Allen makes Peter seem like a chad.)

There is a unique take on time travel and multiverses, even if other films have had more fun with it. With the introduction of Supergirl, I was thinking they should have just called this film Justice League 2, although there is a clear arc for the Flash, even if so many of the trappings are from other DC series. His rogues don't exactly show up here. It seems to continue the video game aesthetic of the Snyderverse, which leads to some lame CGI.
7/10

Movie #65/ New Movie #45: Fireball: Vistiors from Other Worlds (Apple+)
This was an odd combination of Werner Herzog's film persona, which shifted from being in the contention of the top-tier post-WWII German directors favored by arthouse cinema (along with Michael Fasbender and Werner Herzog) to the top commentator for oddball nature documentaries. And this is a good one, surveying places meteorites have been found and looking at the ramifications later from Australia to New Zealand. One fascinating aspect is the things that I should know about that are just tossed off, like the successful effort to move an asteroid, as well as the location of the impact that killed the dinosaurs and made the dominance of Homo Sapien possible.
8/10

Short Movie #8: The Boy, the Mole, The Fox and The Horse (Apple+)
It's a bit slow but it's a pleasant and beautifully animated story about different individuals working together and learning to appreciate one another, while trying to get a child home.it.
7/10

Movie #66/ New Movie #46: No Hard Feelings (Movie Theater)
This was an odd movie to watch with my 76 year old dad- he asked me about it based on a New Yorker review. It works as a vehicle for Jennifer Lawrence and balances R-rated humor with social commentary on the differences between Generation Z and millennials, gentrification and helicopter parents, while also taking advantage of the Long Island setting. Some of the gags are pretty solid. This will join my eclectic Letterboxd list of films dad likes.
8/10

Movie #67/ New Movie #47: Nightbooks (Netflix)
This is a pretty decent film to show a group of kids (I used it in the last day of middle school before the summer) with scary elements that are PG-rated and a format that works with viewers who are easily distracted, with new brief stories that don't require major explanation. As a narrative, it's fine. The twists work and the messages on storytelling and the struggles of children are okay.
7/10

Movie #68/ New Movie #48: Dream No Evil (Blu-Ray)
This was weird. I watched it as part of Arrow's American Horror Project series, and it had some decent extras about director John Hayes to give context. The film is amateurish and primitive, but worthwhile. Twists are telegraphed but decisions are so weird they have to be intentional. Edmund O'Brien is also really good in a very specific villainous role.
7/10

Movie #69: Chariots of Fire (DVD)
This is just a well-made film, a bit narratively different than what we're used to with a focus on two driven athletes who intersect with one another in strange ways. And the messages are contradictory, with one athlete a missionary worried about compromising his Christian values, and the other a Jew facing discrimination.
10/10



Movie #70/ New Movie #49: Elemental (Movie Theater)
It's a standard Pixar film which means it's pretty good. The details are astounding and the central metaphor mostly works. It is a bit derivative, kinda like Inside Out with ethnic stereotypes, but the world here is rather well-realized.
8/10

Movie #71/ New Movie #50: The Velvet Underground (Apple+)
The main difference between this and standard rise and fall of a band documentaries is the sheer sensory overload when they're trying to capture the era. Beyond that we get a good sense of the clashes at that time (New York VS California music scenes, Hippies VS Warhol, etc.), and how it led to an oddball great album.
8/10

Movie #72/ New Movie #51: Come From Away (Apple+)
This captures an impressive theatrical performance so it should be understood in that context. I've seen the play before and this captures what worked about pretty well, including theatrical flourishes. An odd thing is that it might be the best September-11 inspired work of art.
9/10

Movie #73/ New Movie #52: Tetris (Apple+)
It reminds me a lot of Argo especially the parts that had manufactured danger for the American involved in a touchy deal. It's an okay film, and the video game aesthetic adds texture.
7/10

Movie #74/ New Movie #53: Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (Criterion Blu-Ray)
The final Lone Wolf film seems to be different stories stitched together. Some of the sequences are impressive, and it does feature an escalation with the Yagyu clan, although it's hardly a satisfying conclusion. It has moments from two of my favorite stories from the manga, which affirms my good taste.
7/10



Movie #75/ New Movie #54: Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades (Criterion Blu-Ray)
Weirdly I had skipped over this Lone Wolf and Cub film. Like most of them, it combines several stories from the manga and highlights an uncompromising world where people are expected to die on a whim. This episode does have some cool sequences and seems to have a larger message about changing society, especially gunplay in samurai stories.
8/10

Movie #76: Sully (DVD)
It would be an impressive accomplishment for anybody but it’s strange in the context of Clint Eastwood’s career, with big SFX heavy set-pieces and a look at how the media responds to a major story. Hanks and Eckhart are likable as the pilots, and sell their expertise. The central drama fizzles a bit, although it could also be how Sully was worried about reputational harm that wasn’t a serious possibility. I like how the movie functions as a 90 minute joke.
9/10

Movie #77/ New Movie #55: Asteroid City (Movie Theater)
I watched this with my brother who hated it. He thought the framing device of a theatrical production was mean-spirited in terms of the implications on the stylized performances (He also thought it was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, which would leave a different impression.)

We also had an obvious color-grading problem at the theater (which applied as well to the black & white scenes and the trailers) so it may not have been the best environment to watch the film. I liked it, although trying to make sense of the framing scenes may make it more of an intellectual puzzle in a way that can take us out of a quirky and fun story.
9/10

Movie #78: Dr. No (Blu-Ray)
The first Bond film sometimes plays more like a procedural with a suave agent investigating the murder of a colleague. It’s slow at times, and sometimes seems to be shot in a boring way. But Sean Connery emerges as a star, and Honey Ryder is one of the best Bond girls ever. I did like the next two better.
7/10

Movie #79/ New Movie #56: Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (From the All These Haunts Be Ours Blu-Ray collection)
A three hour documentary on a type of film described as more of a mode than genre (especially since these works are produced by different movements) is generally pretty interesting, dragging a bit only at the end. It has some excellent points on films from all over the world, even if a large focus is on British film.
9/10

Movie #80/ New Movie #57: Blood on Satan's Claw (Pluto)
It was mentioned in the documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched as one of the unholy trinity of folk horror along with The Witchfinder General and The Wicker Man, both of which I'd give the highest grade. It’s on Pluto, although there are a few issues. It could be that I wasn’t in the right environment for the film when they were establishing the new status quo, and the ads on Pluto are distracting, but it did take a while to connect with the film. When I connected to it, I enjoyed it. The score is excellent. It does capture the 18th Century village setting well. The concept is creepy and some of the performances are quite good, especially as Angel, the leader of a cult of twisted teenagers.
9/10

[Mister Mets]

Movie #81/ New Movie #58: Titanic (1943) (Kino Blu-Ray)
There are films that are chaotic behind the scenes, and with this one, there’s an unresolved question about whether the director killed himself or whether he was killed under Goebbel’s orders. It’s fascinating to watch propaganda this unsubtle, a take on the Titanic where the good guy is a made-up German captain who is willing to do the right thing damn the costs to himself, and where a desire to prop up stock prices leads to tragedy. It’s a moral abomination (not a shocker for something produced in Nazi Germany) though it also fails on many other levels, with the brisk pace meaning we don’t learn enough to care about anyone when the Titanic hits the iceberg (a scene that is quite underwhelming for what was one of the most expensive German movies ever) although it’s not like we’d care about one-dimensional characters lacking in any chemistry (granted actors may have been concerned about behind the scenes stuff.)

This is the worst score I've given out of a 1,000+ movie reviews.
0/10

Movie #82/ New Movie #59: Shaft (Criterion 4K Blu-Ray)
This detective movie seems a bit like Jaws in that there are all sorts of reviled spinoffs but the original is quite good. Richard Roundtree is an immensely charismatic lead, very different from African-American protagonists in mainstream films up until that point. Issac Hayes has an all-time great score. The story about a private eye trying to find a gangster’s kidnapped daughter has some good twists, even though the body count gets distracting. But goddamn John Shaft is awesome.
9/10

Movie #83: For All Mankind (Criterion 4K Blu-Ray)
I watched the Criterion 4K HD Blu-Ray. Stanley Kubrick is a genius.

On a serious note, it’s an impressive look behind the scenes of one of the most impressive accomplishments in human history. The taped footage doesn’t always look the best on a big-screen TV, but the film footage of the moon and the Earth is absolutely stunning. One issue is that it may be missing some context, because so much of the original audience would be familiar with seeing this happen live, or at least with these astronauts as major celebrities.
9/10

Short Movie #9: The Peculiar Abilities of Mr. Mahler (Youtube)
This short is essentially a decent episode of the Twilight Zone, as an investigation into a missing child in East Germany has a supernatural turn, and plays with expectations in clever ways. The lead performance is quite similar to a major recent Oscar-winning performance, although to say which one may be a bit of a spoiler.
8/10

Movie #84: Idiocracy (Hulu)
I watched it on Hulu on my brother's big-screen and for a film that's notoriously cheap, it doesn't look bad. The gags are great, and the world of idiots is well-realized.
9/10



Movie #85/ New Movie #60: Eyes of Fire (From the All These Haunts Be Ours Blu-Ray collection)
The Severin blu-ray is nice, and captrues the creepy atmosphere as colonial wierdos are forced to be go out into the wild. The colonial setting is underrated for Amercian horror. It's visually inventive with a nightmare logic to the cheap special effects. The resolution to the mystery isn't as interesting and the set-up and I wasn't wowed by any performance, but it's not generic..
8/10

Short Movie #10: Sinking of the Lusitania (Youtube)
This is just fascinating as a historical document: an early animated film with propaganda from Winsor McCay, one of the giants of early comic strips. Aside from the historical significance, the visuals are generally decent.
8/10

Movie #86/ New Movie #61: Mission Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One (Movie Theater)
It's not a shocker that this has some exceptional set pieces as that's normal for the series. Hayley Atwell is a great addition as a thief who gets involved in life and death stakes. I also love Pom Klementieff's joyful assassin. The main plot is about something, and they luck into several timely stories. And Esai Morales works pretty well as the main bad guy; from a meta-perspective it makes sense to pick a character actor who is relatively unknown but can do action scenes in his late 50s since it lends a sense of mystery you wouldn't have with a bigger name.
9/10

Short Movie #11: The Voyage of Time (Mubi)
I watched this on Mubi, which isn't as immersive as seeing it on Imax, but it's lovely visuals and a nice meditation on how the world has transformed.
8/10

Movie #87/ New Movie #62: Lake of the Dead (From the All These Haunts Be Ours Blu-Ray collection)
I got this as part of a box set on folk horror, although it's more of a thriller through the lens of the Scandinavian new wave. To clarify might be a spoiler but it's similar to the work of a major Hollywood director at the same time. This film came out earlier and it was obscure enough that it probably didn't impact the director, so the similarities are likely more about parallel interests than anything else. It's okay for what it is, and there's something weird about traditional horror tropes in a Bergman-esque environment.
7/10



Short Movie #12: The Fleischer Brothers Superman Cartoons (Youtube)
I'm just counting all 17 as one entry. They're available on Youtube and they're fantastic (although the depiction of Japanese soldiers is problematic.) The shorts have a basic formula of Superman facing a challenge. Early on it was mad scientists holding the city hostage, but later stories have Superman fighting dinosaurs, escaped circus animals or committing acts of sabotage during World War 2. My favorite is "Billion Dollar Limited" due to the sequence where a Superman who isn't as powerful as we're used to has to save a train. This is likely the best Superman content made in the golden age.
9/10

Movie #88/ New Movie #63: Past Lives (Movie Theater)
This reminds me of Lost in Translation and In The Mood For Love. The cinematography is gorgeous; there are quite a few moments when I'm astonished at how well shot everything else. This is a film about very specific experiences conveyed with immense skill. I did realize that I'm an aspiring writer the same age as the characters so it connects. I don't quite buy the section where you have actors pushing 40 playing grad students in their mid-20s, though it gives me hope I could pull that off now that I'm 37. It was my favorite film of 2023 for a few days- then I saw Oppenheimer.
9/10

Movie #89/ New Movie #64:Borg VS. McEnroe (Cinemax- Amazon Prime Video)
The final tennis match is exciting, and gets across their attitudes and struggles. But the film's kind of a bore. I don't buy Borg's nervousness behind the scenes, and McEnroe is underdeveloped. The actors also seem clearly ten years older than the part.
6/10

Short Movie #13: Rhythm 21 and other films by Hans Richter (Youtube)
These are groundbreaking short abstract animated films and early examples of avant-garde cinema. It's impressive to show the development of film language.
9/10

Movie #90/ New Movie #65: Oppenheimer (Movie Theater)
I was certainly primed to like this movie as a fan of Nolan, much of the cast, nonlinear storytelling and movies about ambitious, smart people. And so far it's my favorite movie this year. And trumps any movie made last year. It's about big ideas and big conflicts with a director who can three Oscar winners for Best Actor to cameo in it. It may very well get nominated for five other performances: Cillian Murphy gives a star turn as the lead; as a Peaky Blinders fan, I'm ecstatic that he headlined a $70,000,000 opening weekend. Matt Damon is quite solid as his top military connection. Florence Pugh plays the tragic ex well. Emily Blunt is astounding as a complicated housewife. Robert Downey Jr gives what's probably his best performance as a man convinced that Oppenheimer's out to get him; his arc is extraordinary. The visuals are astounding. The score is amazing. This is a big serious mature R-rated 1970s drama like Patton, The Godfather Part 2 or The Deer Hunter.

I think I will see this several more times while it's in theaters.
10/10

[Ghost Rider TheHellfireDemon]

Movie 40.
Indiana Jones And The Dial of Destiny
6/10

The final Indiana Jones sequel is a good movie.
Anything that should be explained does get explained.

I'm very happy Indiana gives a believable explanation of why he and Marian divorced when talking to Helena.
A terrible movie-writing sequel cliche is a change in continuity without any believable explanation given for a change that Indiana Jones And The Dial of Destiny does avoid.
Also, Indiana does give a strong explanation of what happened to his son since he's not in this movie.




The action scenes are good including Indiana Jone's past his prime is shown to be a competent hero which includes he can still use the whip as a useful weapon.
The chase scenes in this movie are exciting and creative. The music does fit the scenes.
The climax is thrilling and has high stakes with a ticking clock.

A variety of locations including Italy.

Solomon states an obvious flaw for Indiana if he leaves New York City, and Indiana gives a believable explanation of why he's leaving New York City so it's not a plot hole.

A standout action scene is an underwater diving scene with eels as antagonists because eels, and an underwater diving scene were never shown in the past 4 Indiana Jones movies.
Good dialogue including the banter with Helena and Indiana.


Helena the other main protagonist is shown to be a competent protagonist, she has an understandable motivation for why she wants to find the Antikythera mechanism. Also, she is shown to have struggles which is the main reason why she is a strong female character that is not a Mary Sue.
Doctor Voller is a charismatic main antagonist that has an understandable reason for why he wants the Antikythera mechanism.
Doctor Voller has a crew, and they are shown to be competent antagonists including a tall brawny man with impressive strength.

The style ending in this movie is earned.

The movie does show what exactly the Antikythera mechanism can do.

This is the final Indiana Jones movie for Harrison Ford, and it didn't have any cliffhangers.

[foxley]

I'm now halfway through my 150 films: a little behind where I had hoped to be, but nothing I can't make up (hopefully).

Film number 75 was Grand Slam, a 1967 heist film with a surprisingly good cast (including Edward G. Robinson, Janet Leigh and Klaus Kinski) and a good twist at the end.

My movies so far:

1) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
2) The Slime People (1963)
3) Ready or Not (2019)
4) Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge (1989)
5) New Town Killers (2008)
6) Rocky Mountain (1950)
7) Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre (2023)
8) Ghost Ship (2002)
9) The Thirsty Dead (1974)
10) The Amazing Maurice (2022)
11) I Know what You Did Last Summer (1997)
12) Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise (2001)
13) The Mercenary (1968)
14) Fire Front (2022)
15) The Ripper (1985)
16) Ride or Die (2005)
17) Watchmen (2009)
18) The Hills Run Red (1965)
19) The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire (2002)
20) The Perfect Score (2004)
21) Booksmart (2019)
22) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
23) Cowboy Zombies (2013)
24) The Blue Lamp (1950)
25) Cocaine Bear (2023)
26) The Proposition (2005)
27) The Gambler from Natchez (1954)
28) The Hound of London (1993)
29) Moana (2016)
30) G.I. Joe: Resolute (2009)
31) The Crime Doctor's Warning (1945)
32) The Firechasers (1971)
33) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
34) Rocket Attack U.S.A. (1960)
35) I Spit On Your Grave (1978)
36) Village of the Giants (1965)
37) The Clovehitch Killer (2018)
38) The Son of Monte Cristo (1940)
39) Mysterious Island (1961)
40) Adventure in Sahara (1938)
41) Power of the Press (1943)
42) Lone Wolf McQuade (1983)
43) Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp (2010)
44) Jane Got a Gun (2015)
45) The Curse of Sleeping Beauty (2016)
46) The Flesh and the Fiends (1960)
47) The Man Who Came Back (2008)
48) Crime Doctor's Man Hunt (1946)
49) Black Rat (2010)
50) The Deadly Mantis (1957)
51) House of 9 (2005)
52) Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II (1989)
53) The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
54) The Manhunt (1984)
55) Nite Tales: The Movie (2008)
56) The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
57) Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
58) Green for Danger (1946)
59) Eden Lake (2008)
60) Suicide Squad (2016)
61) The Suicide Squad (2021)
62) No Name on the Bullet (1959)
63) The Gunfight at Dodge City (1959)
64) The Killing Kind (1973)
65) The Sadist (1963)
66) Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971)
67) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
68) A Study in Scarlet (1933)
69) Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
70) The Case of the Bloody Iris (1972)
71) Flavia the Heretic (1974)
72) Appointment with Venus (1951)
73) Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)
74) Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
75) Grand Slam (1967)

[Attila Kiss]

61. Viral (2016) - ★★★
62. UFO Sweden (2022) - ★★★
63. Asteroid City (2023) - ★★★
64. Disquiet (2023) - ★★★
65. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) - ★★★★★
66. Hidden Strike (2023) - ★★★★
67. Oppenheimer (2023) - ★★★
68. Paradise (2023) - ★★★★
69. Skinford: Death Sentence (2023) - ★★★★
70. The Blackening (2023) - ★★★
71. The Channel (2023) - ★★★★
72. The Flash (2023) - ★★★★
73. The Murderer (2023) - ★★★★★
74. The Out-Laws (2023) - ★★★
75. The Roundup: No Way Out (2023) - ★★★
76. Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts (2023) - ★★★★

[Moon Ronin]

001: The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
002: Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
003: The Menu (2022)
004: Red Eye (2005)
005: Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
006: Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
007: Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)
008: The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
009: Mission: Impossible (1996)
010: Fantasy Island (2020)
011: 47 Ronin (2013)
012: 1BR (2019)
013: M3GAN (2022)
014: Mission: Impossible II (2000)
015: High Spirits (1988)
016: Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou (2021)
017: Mission: Impossible III (2006)
018: Slayers (2022)
019: First Sunday (2008)
020: Ready or Not (2019)
021: The Quiet Man (1952)
022: Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959)
023: The Air I Breathe (2007)
024: Knock at the Cabin (2023)
025: Nope (2022)
026: Enola Holmes 2 (2022)
027: Fire and Ice (1983)
028: Memories (1995)
029: Drive Angry (2011)
030: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
031: A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
032: The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia (2013)
033: Knowing (2009)
034: The Frozen Ground (2013)
035: The Humanity Bureau (2017)
036: Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
037: Cocaine Bear (2023)
038: Renfield (2023)
039: The Wedding Singer (1998)
040: Horror in the High Desert (2021)
041: The Wonder (2022)
042: Malevolent (2018)
043: Willy’s Wonderland (2021)
044: Tag (2018)
045: The Host (2006)
046: The Wave (2015)
047: Parasite (2019)
048: The Loved Ones (2029)
049: Blue Bayou (2021)
050: Blair Witch (2016)
051: Brokedown Palace (1999)
052: Mandy (2016)
053: The Dilemma (2011)
054: We Have a Ghost (2023)
055: The Outsiders (1983)
056: Platoon (1986)
057: Valkyrie (2008)
058: Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
059: Cooties (2014)
060: Life After Beth (2014)
061: Tusk (2014)
062: Minority Report (2002)
063: Steel Magnolias (1989)
064: White Noise (2022)
065: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
066: Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
067: Monstrous (2022)
068: Fall (2022)
069: Devotion (2022)
070: The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
071: Evil Dead Rise (2023)
072: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
073: Scream VI (2023)
074: Children of the Corn (2020)
075: Oppenheimer (2023)
076: 65 (2023)
077: Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
078: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
079: Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
080: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
081: The Warriors Gate (2016)
082: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
083: Hotel Artemis (2018)
084: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

[Iron Maiden]

Finally hit the 100 movies plateau


75. Alien 3 (1993) - Depressing and disappointing, this production was troubled from from the beginning. The first director left the project and David Fincher took on the film next. He has since disowned the film and cited studio interference.
76. Alien Resurrection (1997) - This was an improvement over the previous film (see above) and at least Ripley is still alive....or is she?
77. Halloween H20: 20 Years later - one of the better entries in the Halloween series of movies, certainly much better than the final film of the series "Halloween Kills". I still think they will crank out one more at some point.
78. 300 (2006) - Film adaptation of the graphic novel by Frank Miller featuring the story of King Leonidas of Sparta and an smalll army of 300 fighting off the Persians. The film suffers a bit from too much CGI but it still makes for well made film.
79. Night of the Hunter - (1955) Considered a film noir classic, this is the only film ever directed by Charles Laughton. Robert Mitchum as the serial killer who disguises himself as a preacher in the rural South of the Depression, is terrifying at times and almost hilarious in others in an unforgettable performance.
80. Three Musketeers - (1974) Retelling of the classic tale by director Richard Lester featuring a large cast of characters played by Michael York, Christopher Lee, Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch and Faye Dunaway. Welch is quite charming as Constance, which surprised many critics at the time.
81. Die Hard - (1988) - The first of what would become a series of films. Probably seen by many people as their Christmas movie.
82. Sleepy Hollow (1999) - This retelling of the classic Washington Irving tale is stylishly told by Tim Burton with a cast that includes Johnny Depp as Icabod Crane and veteran actors like Christopher Lee, Michael Gambon, Michael Gough with a surprise casting of the Headless Horseman. This continues the Tim Burton / Danny Elfman collaboration that begin PeeWee's Big Adventure and their Batman movies....Batman and Batman Returns.
83. Stagecoach (1966)- Remake of the classic John Ford Western from 1939. Not a bad movie IMO. Filmed in Colorado, it has great outdoor shots of the stagecoach as it is pursued by some hostile Indians.
84. The Conjuring (2013) - The first in a series of films centering on the RW paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren
85. Flight of the Phoenix (1965) - This is one of James Stewart's better roles. He plays a pilot working for a third rate company that ferries workers for an oil company in North Africa. Their plane is woefully outdated and in poor shape. A deadly sandstorm causes them to go off course and crash. Luckily the pilot, played by Stewart, is able to land the plane...in the middle of nowhere. There most difficult task is just surviving. Great cast including Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Attenborough. Don't get confused by the 2004 remake and avoid that one!
86. Galaxy Quest (1999) - Entertaining film that is obviously an homage to the original television series of the 1960s
87. Kong: Skull Island (2017) - King Kong gets an update here. Instead of the 1930s setting of the original Kong, this takes place at the end of the Vietnam war. Special effects are top notch but the story is a bit weak.
88. The Uninvited (1944) - A brother and sister buy a beautiful if a bit neglected home for a very low price. That should have been the first clue that there is something wrong because as soon as the move in, the "disturbances" begin. A classic ghost tale
89. The Dead Zone (1983) - One of the better adaptations of a Steven King novel. Excellent performance by Christopher Walkin as a man who emerges from a coma (he had been in a bad car accident) with the power to see someone's future.
90. The Shining (1980) - This film is highly overrated IMO with hardly any resemblance to Steven King's novel . King really dislikes this of Stanley Kubrick's interpretation of his original and as someone who had read the book before seeing the movie I can see why.
91. Dog Soldiers (2002)- A unique action film that centers on a squad of soldiers on a military exercise that is attacked by werewolves.
92. Airplane (1980) - I haven't watched this satire of films like "Airport" and "Zero Hour" in a while. I still find it hilarious.
93. Unbreakable (2000) - Bruce Willis plays a man who was the sole survivor of a train crash that killed over 100 people. Comic shop owner Elijah Price (played by Samuel L. Jackson) has lived with pain all his life....his bones are brittle and break very easily. Willis's David character seems to be immune to disease or any kind of harm. Written and directed by M. Night Syamalan.
94. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) One of the earlier Marvel films and IMO it is probably the best.
95. Split (2016) - A follow up to Unbreakable, director/writer M. Night Shyamalan adds another character to the story. The film focuses on a young man with 23 personalities who kidnaps 3 young women as part of a plan to set free a 24th entity known as the Beast. A little gruesome at times but this is one of the Shyamalan's better efforts.
96. Glass (2019) - The final film (so far at least) the series of interlocking films by director Shyamalan and ties in with the previous films "Unbreakable" and "Split"
97. Let Me In (2010) - Inspired by the Swedish film "Låt den rätte komma in" (Let The Right One In), This is a very unusual vampire film. Highly recommended.
98. PeeWee's Big Adventure (1985) - After reading that Paul Reubens had passed away, I had to revisit this film. It still holds up very well....a timeless film. RIP Pee Wee.
99. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) - Until this year's Indiana Jones movie (which I have not seen) "Crystal Skull" was the last Indiana Jones movie. It's not as well liked as some films in the series but I found it was entertaining. We had the return of Marian from the first in the series and their son, played by .
100. Top Gun: Maverick (2022) - A bit light on story, this film revisits Tom Cruise's success in the original Top Gun from the 1980s. His character is not the hot shot young flyer of his years ago and is now training the a new generation of pilots. The flight scenes are well done and provide the main interest of the film. Val Kilmer, who was in the original film and returns here "Iceman" but the years haven't been kind to Kilmer. In 2015, he was diagnosed with throat cancer and though he has been cured the surgical procedures took away his voice. He can talk via AI voice tech and has one line in the movie but basically use a computer screen and typed in part of his conversation with Tom Cruise's character.

[Ghost Rider TheHellfireDemon]

Movie 41.

TMNT Mutant Mayhem

7/10



An entertaining good reboot TMNT movie that is unique, and is the darkest TMNT movie.

The reason why it's the darkest is because SuperFly's goal is to eradicate all humans, and he has a believable motivation for why he wants to achieve this destructive goal.

Also, the humans are shown to be terrible characters because they reacted with panic and fear when they saw SuperFly and his group of Mutants instead of accepting them, and humans react with fear and hostility after seeing Splinter after seeing that he is a bipedal rat.



A glaring flaw is multiple action scenes are hard to follow.

Standout details for product placement are the Pizza Hut Pizzas, and Raphael is shown holding an Adidas Orignal t-shirt that is gray and the Adidas Original logo is red.

Splinter has a believable reason why he doesn't want the Turtles to interact with humans.





A highly entertaining climax with the Turtles, Splinter, and the Mutants having to defeat a giant animal.



It's believable that Donatello would think of a weakness that the giant animal has after Leonardo reminds him that he's read multiple comic books where a group of super heroes have to defeat a giant animal that has a common vulnerable area.

SuperFly does introduce the group of mutants to the Turtles which does include Rocksteady and Bebop.





April O'Neal is a unique character that has an understandable motivation for her achievable goal.



A flashback scene is shown when SuperFly talks to the Turtles that he and his group of mutants weren't accepted by humans when humans saw them because humans reacted with fear and panic even though SuperFly and the Mutants weren't doing anything harmful.

This information shows the main antagonist SuperFly to be a tragic character since he wanted him and the group of mutants to be accepted by humans which didn't happen so as a result he has a cynical view of humans, and he's not wrong when he states the main flaw about humans which is why he believes he's justified to eradicate humans which he explains to the Turtles for how he plans to achieve a destructive genocidal goal.



The Turtles know that humans are terrible mainly driven by fear so it's believable that Leonardo is asked why the turtles should not eradicate humans, and he gives an understandable cliche answer for why the Turtles eradicating humans is wrong.



The changes in this TMNT Movie are earned because of great writing, and an entertaining ending.